Both of Us
}} }}|Image = Both Of Us.jpeg|genre = Country rap, pop rap, conscious hip hop}}"Both of Us" is a song by American hip hop recording artist B.o.B, released on May 22, 2012, as the official third single from his second studio album Strange Clouds (2012). The song features vocals from Taylor Swift and was produced by Dr. Luke and Cirkut. It debuted on Australia Top 50 singles chart at #46. The song sold 143,000 copies first week, along with the album release, debuting at 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the week's top debut. Background "Both of Us" was released to critical acclaim, most praising Swift's feature, with some calling the country rap collaboration as a sweet and melodic catchy song. The lyrics of Both of Us talks about racism and bullying. It was Swift who came up with the idea for the collaboration after she visited B.o.B's label Grand Hustle. The rapper explained, "She came to Atlanta and she hit up Grand Hustle. I wasn't there. Tip was there and I eventually linked with her in Dallas and the rest is history." This is not the first time Swift contributed to a hip hop song, her other collaborations with include her hook up with T-Pain at the CMT Music Awards (2009) and two years later, the superstar recruited T.I., Nicki Minaj and Flo Rida to assist her during the Speak Now Tour. Music Video The music video, directed by Jake Nava, was released on June 27, 2012. B.o.B announced the video on Twitter, sharing a photo and a release date time frame: "On the set of the #BothOfUs music video in Nashville with @taylorswift13. Video premieres end of June!". Synopsis The video starts with B.o.B standing before a small American flag then cuts to Swift singing the song's hook in a dark lit pool hall. B.o.B then takes to the train tracks and streets to deliver his verses while Swift croons the hook in a picturesque field while donning a white cotton dress, and shows a dog that leaves Swift awestruck with his high flying antics. Footage of the artists is interspliced with scenes of life in Nashville's less glamorous neighborhoods like tatted locals, cowboy-boot-wearing young women, shirtless youths playing in sprinklers, teens kissing, a mobile home (this leaves viewers knowing that the video isn't glamorous, but instead leaves viewers appreciating the little things in life - It's not about the money, it's understanding that a romp through a sprinkler or a good game of billiards is enough to take you away from the mundane moments of everyday life). As the first chorus precedes Swift is shown singing at a field covered with dandelions and flowers and several shots of B.o.B and Swift are interspliced. As the video closes out, viewers are left with a sort of fantasy, with B.o.B and Swift re-imagined as the every man and every woman living simple life in rural Tennessee, much like the folks in the video. At the end, we see B.o.B standing in a driveway with a car backing up and B.o.B staring at it. Chart Performance It debuted on Australia Top 50 singles chart at #46. The song sold 143,000 copies first week, along with the album release, debuting at 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the week's top debut. It re-entered Billboard Hot 100 at 77 and has since peaked at 46. Lyrics Swift - Chorus I wish I was strong enough to lift not one but both of us Some day I will be strong enough to lift not one but both of us B.o.B Ever thought about losing it When your money’s all gone and you lose your whip You might lose your grip when the landlord tell ya that you due for rent And the grass so green on the other side Make a n*gga wanna run straight through the fence Open up the fridge about two hundred times But still can’t find no food in it That’s foolishness And sometimes I wonder, why we care so much about the way we look, And the way we talk and the way we act and the clothes we bought, How much that cost? Does it even really matter? Cause is life is an uphill battle We all tryna climb with the same ol’ ladder In the same boat, with the same ol’ paddle Why so shallow? I’m just asking What’s the pattern to the madness Everybody ain’t a number one draft pick Most of us ain’t hollywood actors But if it’s all for one, and one for all Then maybe one day, we all can ball Do it one time for the underdogs Sincerely yours, from one of yours Swift - Chorus I wish I was strong enough to lift not one but both us Some day I will be strong enough to lift not one but both of us B.o.B I can feel your pain, I can feel your struggle You just wanna live, but everything is so low That you could drown in a puddle That’s why I gotta hold us up, yeah hold us up For all the times no one’s ever spoke for us To every single time that they play this song You can say that that’s what bobby ray wrote for us When the tides get too high And the sea up underneath get so deep And you feel like you’re just another person Getting lost in the crowd, way up high in the nosebleeds Uh, because we've both been there, yeah, both of us But we still stand tall with our shoulders up And even though we always against the odds These are the things that’ve molded us And if life hadn’t chosen us Sometimes I wonder where I would've wound up Cause if it was up to me, i’d make a new blueprint Than build from the ground up, hey But if it’s all for one, and one for all Then maybe one day, we all can ball Do it one time for the underdogs From bobby ray, to all of y’all Swift - Chorus I wish I was strong enough to lift not one but both of us Some day I will be strong enough to lift not one but both of us External Links Category:Songs Category:Collaborations Category:Songs written by Taylor Swift